


How to get away with Winter (without murder)

by lantia4ever



Series: How Bucky got away with (murder) Tony [3]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Bucky is not any better, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Prompt Fill, Tony is not amused, Tumblr: imaginetonyandbucky, Winter enjoys spoiling Tony
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-18
Updated: 2018-04-18
Packaged: 2019-04-24 16:48:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14359563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lantia4ever/pseuds/lantia4ever
Summary: Winter might have given up murder thoughts, but what he most certainly won't be giving up is his brand new mission to make Tony Stark the happiest man on Earth. Even if it means recruiting his former enemy JARVIS, the bots and even Bucky in on the whole thing.In the end, Tony might just come across a fight worth surrendering.A loose continuation of the previous prompt fill that accidentally turned into a series (???) How Bucky got away with (murder) Tony - doesn't have to be read to get into this one, but face it, you need the fluff! All of it. Just breathe it in. Yesss. ^^Based on the Anon prompt for ITAB: what if Winter is separated from Bucky and Winter is very protective of Tony, like more so than Bucky, and he baby’s the hell out of him so Tony complains to Bucky who just laughs and joins Winter in spoiling Tony to death





	How to get away with Winter (without murder)

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! 
> 
> So while I'm diving into the ongoing monster fic that is Hazy Shade of Winter and also the WinterIron Spring fling (and oh boy I do love the prompts ^^), here's a little something to brighten up the mood before...well...we all know what's coming next week and since I will be in attendance, I might cease to exist come Thursday :'D Depending on how bad it is, I might never make it out of the cinema...  
> So yes, we need fluff. Now. All of it. Before things need to be fixed, _again!_
> 
> Enjoy the read! <3 
> 
> [Imagine Tony and Bucky tumblr](http://imaginetonyandbucky.tumblr.com/) \- the holy shrine of all that is WinterIron  
> [My tumblr thing...](http://lantia.tumblr.com) \- if you wanna say hi (and maybe kinda definitely cry with me next week :D)

Tony loves Sunday mornings.

If anyone told him a year ago that he would like _any morning_ at all, he’d laugh for days. He’s hated mornings ever since his early MIT days. Partying and school didn’t mix all too well and once he added late night tinkering, mornings became his worst adversaries.

He’s an owl, he thrives in the night. But then there’s Bucky, an absolute morning person if he’s ever met one – and he does keep on meeting Steve heading off to his morning run at 5AM so, yeah.

Where Tony prefers to hide from the offending rays of sunlight, Bucky _bathes_ in them, enjoying the warmth and light. That’s what he figured real fast – the guy is a morning person and despite his codename he’s a summer guy, too. And Tony can work with that, even though the first few times he’s been woken up by a waaaaay too lively supersoldier at six o’clock on a Sunday were bordering on torturous. He used Sundays to reboot and get enough sleep to warrant another week-long sleepless workshop parties.

Now…well, let’s just say he’s not _too_ unhappy with the new Sundays.

Waking up to a kiss and his all-time favorite Bucky-smile is definitely better than waking up at noon – rested, but alone. This waking up scenario is not limited to Sundays only, so now that he thinks about it, Tony just loves mornings these days.

Especially if they’re coupled with Winter-made waffles for breakfast.

The Other-other guy gets to be in control every now and then – under the promise of not killing anyone during the time – and he uses it for two things: cooking and pranking. Since murder is off the menu, he opted for the lesser evil and just pranks whoever he deems deserving of punishment. And it usually ends up being either one of the Birdbrains or Steve. Tony would berate him about it…it if wasn’t so much fun to watch.

It’s a strange symbiosis the three of them have. 

He wakes up alone after yesterday’s eventful game night with the team – playing Activities with Steve, who couldn’t pantomime a growing tree even if he tried and Clint, who made everything look like a scene from the Hunger Games, was admittedly a bad idea. So he immediately guesses the sad display of skills forced Winter out to calm down in the kitchen…after setting up more pranks for the boys of course.

Shuffling into the bathroom, he takes a quick shower and blow-dries his hair to at least look a little respectable before heading down to the common floor.

“ _I’m afraid he likes spicy, hot meals. I have witnessed him emptying an entire bottle of tabasco onto his lasagna_.”

Tony halts at the sound of JARVIS’s voice.

“That is…barbaric,” Winter replies through the clanking of glass bottles.

“ _Indeed. He is however allergic to lactose_.”

He silently moves toward the open entrance to the kitchen to further inspect the scene. 

“Mortally allergic?” Winter asks with renewed interest.

“ _No, of course not. But he gets a very bad case of acne whenever he drinks milk or eats chocolate_.”

Winter pauses and then takes out the opened bottle of milk out of the fridge. “This will do.”

“Isn’t it a bit early for pranking?” Tony says, putting his hands on his hips, trying to look stern. Although he has to admit the sight of pre-pubertal looking Clint was way too funny the last time he indulged in dairy.

Winter’s usually passive expression ignites with something close to satisfaction as he smirks at Tony. “It is the perfect time. He must suffer for his absolute incompetence,” he says, deep and threatening.

“Yeah, I figured. Go crazy, soldier,” he waves at him, rolling his eyes. Registering the blissful smell of waffles he moves towards the counter but Winter blocks his way, hand raised in a stopping gesture.

“No,” he simply says and points at the table. “Sit,” he commands, slipping past Tony to pull one of the chairs for him.

Tony chuckles and lets the man help him get seated. Bucky is the same way. Holding the doors open, helping out in the workshop with heavy lifting, serving him food first before serving himself…but Winter positively spoils him lately. It was cute at first - now it keeps on escalating and Tony’s not sure what to do about that bit.

A minute later, he is presented with a hefty portion of waffles with a side of whipped cream, mashed strawberries and a cup of coffee. His favorite combination. Not the healthiest, but he can’t but indulge every once in a while. And Winter had figured out this particular pattern very early on.

“Thank you. It smells… _divine_ ,” he winks at him and digs in with the fork the former assassin quickly procures for him. He hums in appreciation the second he tastes the dish and oh to hell with health. This is better than _life_.

Winter just nods and moves back to his pranking mission. That somehow involves JARVIS now. Given their past, Tony is happy to see them working together if only it wasn’t pranking. He almost feels bad for Clint at the moment… _almost_. They’re just too good at this. Today it’s pranking Clint and tomorrow they’ll be taking over the world!

He watches them work in silence, as they eventually decide to sabotage Clint’s very own bottle of coke with just enough milk to not be noticeable, but still effective. For some reason, Birdbrain dumps his morning cereal into coca-cola… _who does that_?! That’s just…bizarre. And those tabasco lasagna, too. He’s got some seriously weird…bird…tastes.

When he’s done with the plate – somehow managing to restrain himself from licking it clean – he tries to get up and at least do the dishes but nope. The Soldier is quicker than lightning. He takes the dirty dishes, drops them off to the washer and refills the almost empty cup of coffee - all in a span of five seconds. “Uhhhh…thanks. Next breakfast is on me,” he jokes, but Winter gives him a dead serious look.

“No.”

He rolls his eyes at his antics again and sits back in the comfy chair. “Fine, you can have breakfast. Lunch is usually Steve’s. So dinner’s on me next,” he decides, but the other man’s expression only intensifies.

“No.”

“I can cook, too, you know?” he folds his hands defensively, starting to feel a little offended. He’s Tony goddamn Stark! He creates new elements every other Tuesday, he can handle a dinner!

“Of course you can,” Winter agrees. “I would not ever doubt that.”

“It’s settled then!” he beams at him, not bothered by the man’s profound frown.

 

* * *

He forgets all about the tiny dispute - until he wants to cook that dinner one day and finds that Winter is already in the kitchen, hard at work. He dismisses it and tries to go for it the next day but no luck, Winter already has meat in the oven by the time he shuffles out of the workshop.

When he complains about it with his perfected pout of doom to Bucky later, the little shit just laughs. “’S nothing, Tony. He’s just so happy when he can cook for ya, let him be.”

So he lets him. It’s not like Tony actually _likes_ to cook anyway. And if Winter is happy then he’s happy. And Bucky’s definitely happy.

The problem is that Winter doesn’t just stop at food.

Spoiling him rotten with all his favorite dishes all the time is one thing, but then he moves on to his _laundry_. Like, the _whole_ deal.

He sorts to clothes by color, then starts up the washing machine, then the dryer, then he irons the clothes, folds them or hangs them neatly into the wardrobe and depending on the day of the week, he even prepares Tony’s favorite pieces for him come morning.

Big ongoing project in the workshop? There are sweatpants and the AC/DC Tee waiting for him. Wednesday SI shareholder meeting? No problem, there’s that sleek black suit paired with the white shirt and crimson-gold tie. Evening date with Bucky? Winter’s got that covered as well with the dark jeans and a casual T-shirt + black jacket combo. He even picks his _underwear_ for fuck’s sake! So what if Bucky’s a fan of those tight boxers! Yes he is and yes, Tony’s aware and by proxy Winter _must_ be aware, but it’s _too much_.

“I’m more than capable of picking my clothing, thank you very much!” he tells him one day, when Winter nearly puts his choice of clothes on for him as well.

“Of course you are,” he answers immediately, with the same frown as before with the cooking and actually looks appalled by the very idea of Tony being incapable of something so simple. Incapable of anything, really.

So he lets it go again. But laundry only seems to be the beginning for Winter.

When he’s got food and laundry handled, he moves on to the workshop. He can’t do Tony’s work for him – thankfully – but that sure as hell doesn’t stop him from helping out any way that he _can_. Within few hours, he learns all about the tools Tony uses, so whenever he finds himself in need of a hammer or a screwdriver, the tool materializes on his worktable. Without him even saying anything! He gets so good at it he just knows what Tony’s gonna need and brings it over in a second. And because he’s a master multitasker, snacks and drinks materialize on his table just as well.

“The tools are five steps away from the bench. I can just walk over there when I need something,” he tells him, not sure what he’s expecting in terms of answer.

“Of course you can.” Is naturally the response he gets.

“Then why do you keep bringing them to me?” he asks patiently.

“Because _I_ can, too. You focus on your work. It looks important,” he adds and gets back to being the tool-bringer.

Tony gives up and just calls out whatever he needs and Winter happily brings it to him. Bucky, the little shit he still is, comments on it later, saying they have a funky surgeon - assisting nurse thing going on in the workshop. 

And just when he thinks it can’t in any way escalate from there, Winter is ready to prove him wrong. With the smallest and silliest things possible!

Like sneaking out and going grocery shopping so early in the morning the bagels are still hot when him and Bucky are having breakfast. Or washing the Tesla after a particularly dusty night out. Or turning the bots into his personal army and commandeering them to behave well and basically recruiting them in on his mission – _and they’re listening to him_. Hell, JARVIS is listening to him. And aside from pranking, the AI supports him in all his Tony-spoiling endeavors.

In the end, he does the only thing he _can_ do. Complain to his all too entertained boyfriend.

“I’m so done with your obsessive inner assassin, like…so done!”

“Oh?” Bucky raises an eyebrow, looking at him innocently.

“It was cute at first…sweet even, I’ll admit. Watching him become a master chef, bully JARVIS for recipes, be _so damn happy_ whenever he got complimented on his work. But come on, now! He’s like a fucking Mary Poppins these days, just more like a perfectionist butler from hell! I can’t do anything when he’s around! Other than work and…walk. And I bet he’s already getting an MIT degree so I don’t have to work either! It’s only a matter of time before he’s carrying me around, too!”

“He likes doin’ things for you, s’all.”

“Wh…that’s…great and…lovely. But there’s a _line_! He’s going to extremes now!”

Bucky pauses for a moment and then chuckles, presumably because of whatever Winter says. “Tony…trust me when I say, that compared to the extremes he was planning to go into before agreeing to stick with house chores, him pranking the Avengers and caring for you is what I’d call _mild_.”

“Oh really? What was he gonna do? Murder everyone but me and then bathe in their blood?” he scoffs, but Bucky doesn’t look amused.

“Yeah, pretty much.”

Even if he wasn’t looking so serious, Tony would believe him. Winter _does_ have a proclivity for murder. “Okay. So maybe him being all…,” he flails about with his hands, “… _attentive_ is not as bad as it could be. But I seriously don’t need to be baby’d like this to know that he likes me! I know it makes him happy but we’d all be happier if he…tuned it down. Just a little bit!” he suggests, immediately raising a defensive hand. He doesn’t want to sound like a jerk…especially not to the two of them. “I’m sure we can find some new, exciting hobby for him that doesn’t involve murder and obsessing over me.”

Bucky takes a moment to have his inner conversation with the Other-other guy and the way he smirks afterwards should have been a warning. “I’m sure we can.”

“Good. That’s…great. Now, where were we?” he returns the smirk and winks, resuming the cuddling on the couch.  

 

* * *

Somewhere in the heat of that late night conversation, Tony must have forgotten one very important fact. He can easily blame it on Bucky and the effect he has on his usual perceptive and top notch brain activity. But even then he should have realized that Winter and Bucky are…on the same wavelength. The HYDRA-made assassin has spent every waking minute in the presence of Bucky and his thoughts for the past two years. No Handlers to torment him, no murder orders to carry out…just him and Bucky. And it’s the latter, that’s behind his de facto rehabilitation…and everything he does or doesn’t do these days.

In other words, the two think very much alike.

And Tony doesn’t get a better example or proof of this theory than during the next few days after their talk. Winter no longer escalates things, but then Bucky comes into the picture. And where Winter draws a line, Bucky takes the reins and continues on for him with just as much determination and twice the subtlety. While being the one thing Winter is not quite yet – tactile.

So Bucky distracts Tony with a kiss, or more kisses or a touch…and then he’s suddenly being spoon-fed breakfast in-between. Or his formerly messy work table is in absolute order and ready to be used again. Or his favorite coffee, that Birdbrain hides at the very top shelf so that Tony has to all but build a chair pyramid in order to reach, is presented to him in one, swift ninja move, while Birdbrain’s favorite cornflakes get superglued to the ceiling – not the box; every single cornflake, one by one.

Or like right now.

One moment he’s having a conversation with Bruce while watching some weirdly accurate movie about Mars and the next, he’s being wrapped in a duvet like a damn burrito and then deposited on the other end of the sofa, away from his now openly grinning science bro.

Bucky plops down next to him, kisses his cheek and turns away to watch the movie with a tiny smile playing on his lips.

He looks down to inspect his now…mummified state of being and opens his mouth to complain.

Before his brain to mouth filter gets to fail, he swallows the complaint, realizing two things in rapid succession worthy of the genius that he is.

It’s actually quite nice and comfy… he had been getting a little cold so sure, duvet burrito, why not.

And more importantly, the last time he complained about being pampered to no end, instead of making Winter go easier on it, Bucky _joined in_. He even started pranking the team when an opportunity presented itself just as much as the former assassin part of him.

It leads him to a very simple conclusion.

The more he’ll complain to the two of them, the more they’ll pamper him. Because that’s what they are – birds of a feather. Who else would Winter learn everything from anyway? Of course it had to be Bucky. And Bucky surely got some lovely pointers from none other than the meddling overlord himself – JARVIS.

Tony sends a fiery glare to the nearest camera, but by the time he turns to his boyfriend, it’s transformed into a squinty pout. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” he accuses him in a quiet, offended voice. “ _Both_ of you,” he adds, knowing Winter is definitely tuned in on this.

“Damn straight,” he smiles at him…like he’s the happiest person on the planet.

Oh hell…Tony isn’t one to give up a fight. But he’s kinda okay giving up this one. Because maybe some fights are actually worth giving up, if the result is as great as that smile right there.

“Fine…you win. Pamper me senseless,” he melts into the cushions, pout replaced with a content smile.

“That’s…not a euphemism, right?” Bruce sends them a strange look. “Because if it is, I have some work in the lab I can go get back to if you need to… _pamper each other_ , you know?”

Tony bursts out with laughter at Bruce’s horrified expression and Bucky’s now frozen smile. “Shut up and watch the movie, Brucie-bear,” he rolls his eyes and wiggles his hands out of the duvet. “Now, you scoot over here,” he points at Bucky and then at his lap.

He raises a questioning eyebrow but slides a little closer and lets himself be maneuvered against Tony…who then gains the most perfect access to his hair.

“If you two get to meddle with my underwear, I’ll get to braid your hair,” he explains, running his fingers through the man’s wild locks.

“Hmmm…’s nice. Braid me all you want,” Bucky murmurs back, relaxing in the half-embrace.

“I swear, if those are all euphemisms I am turning green and killing you both,” Bruce groans, glaring at them now.

Tony feels, rather than hears the rumble of quiet laughter that erupts in Bucky’s chest and smiles, combing through his hair soothingly. “Careful now with the murder talk, Bruce. Wouldn’t want to wake up Winter now, would we?”

“I hate you all,” Bruce mumbles, but smiles at them anyway.

“Watch the damn movie, boys,” Tony prompts them and focuses on the simple fish tail braid and the warm, comfortable weight that is Bucky - and Winter against him.

_~Fin_


End file.
